Shipping and dispensing carton

ABSTRACT

Shipping and dispensing carton for a stack of compressed and bound resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements including a bottom and four upright side walls, a top flap attached to a side wall and infolded over the carton, the top flap having a centrally located line parallel to the side wall and dividing the flap into a retaining portion which is secured in place and a dispensing flap which mates with the opposite side wall to form a seam, the dispensing flap being adapted to be outfolded thereby forming a dispensing opening through which said filter elements can be withdrawn from said stack one at a time.

United States Patent [1 1 Hansen et al.

[ Oct. 30, 1973 SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CARTON Inventors: Elwood F. Hansen, Allendale;

Arnold Goldberg, Fair Lawn. I both of NJ.

Assignee: Drico Industrial Corp.,

Wallington, NJ.

Filed: Nov. 16, 1970 Appl. No.: 89,679

Related 0.8. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 820,196, April 29, 1969, abandoned.

US. Cl. 206/56 R, 221/45, 229/16 R Int. Cl 865d 5/00, 865d 83/00 Field of Search 206/56 R, 56 A, 56 AC, 206/65 R, 65 B, 57 R, 83.5; 229/7 R, 17 R,

37 R, 37 E, 44 R, 51 DB, 51 D, 51 TC, 16 R; 221/45 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1914 Rieger 11/1966 Crane Blasdell 223/23 A 3,367,559 2/1968 Waldrop 229/51 TC 2,689,643 9/1954 Willits 206/57 3,606,969 9/1971 Voytko 229/7 R 3,498,519 3/1970 Johnson 229/7 R 2,598,050 5/1952 Guyer 206/57 X Primary ExaminerSamuel B. Rothberg Assistant ExaminerSteven E. Lipman Attorney-Burgess, Dinklage & Sprung [5 7] ABSTRACT Shipping and dispensing carton for a stack of compressed and bound resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements including a bottom and four upright side walls, a top flap attached to a side wall and infolded over the carton, the top flap having a centrally located line parallel to the side wall and dividing the flap into a retaining portion which is secured in place and a dispensing flap which mates with the opposite side wall to form a seam, the dispensing flap being adapted to be outfolded thereby forming a dispensing opening through which said filter elements can be withdrawn from said stack one at a time.

7 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures FATENTEU OCT 3 0 I973 SHEET 10F 2 INVENTORS ELWOOD F. HANSEN ARNOLD GOLDBERG BY BURGESS. DINKLAGE 8. SPRUNG A TO NE PAIENTED 0m 30 I975 SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG. 2A.

"r f" IIYIIIIIIIIIHIIHII FIG. 3.

INVENTORS F. HANSEN 0 BY 0 GOLDBERG BURGESS. DINKLAGE & SPRUNG ATTORNEYS.

SHIPPING AND DISPENSING CARTON RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-impart of copending application Ser. No. 820,196, filed Apr. 29, 1969 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND This application relates to a shipping and dispensing carton for frameless air filter elements and to a method of packaging and dispensing such elements. More particularly, this invention relates to a shipping and dispensing carton for a stack of compressed and bound, resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements and especially to such elements made from glass fiber.

Compressible, resilient frameless fiberglass air filter pads or elements have been shipped in standard 200 lbs. test commercial cardboard cartons in a compressed condition. For example, 50 nominally 2 inches thick (uncompressed) or 75 nominally 1 inch thick filter pads have been stacked, compressed and shipped in cartons approximately 25 inches high. The resilient nature of the pads caused bulging of the carton walls which made impossible the orderly stacking of the cartons one on top of the other. Also, in transit pressure from the resilient stack of pads often caused the cartons to rupture at the gummed tape sealing the joints.

Unnecessary labor is required in packing such cartons because it takes two men to control the placing and stuffing of the pads in the cartons and the task is time consuming. This procedure of filling the cartons also results in poor quality control on the pads.

Such cartons of filter pads have a high volume low density and excessive bulk in warehousing and transporting such that the handling of the cartons is relatively expensive, even though the air filter pads are sold at a relatively low unit selling price.

When a box of compressed filter pads is opened the pads tend to spring up in an uncontrolled manner and spillout of the box much to the annoyance of the user or service man.

Heretofore, motor freight carriers rendered poor service and/or abstained from pick up service because of the unduly bulky and poorly stackable shipping cartons.

Frameless flexible air filter elements have meant up to a fifty percent cost savings to the consumer as compared to conventional framed or paneled filters. Despite this, the inadequate packaging and uncontrolled spring release of the pads due to their resilient nature when standard commercial cartons were opened stifled the interest in this type of fiber element.

SUMMARY The above problems are overcome by the present invention which broadly provides a shipping and dispensing carton for a stack of compressed and bound resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements comprising a bottom and four upright side walls attached thereto, a top flap attached to a side wall adapted to be infolded over the carton, the top flap having a centrally located line parallel to the side wall and dividing the flap into a retaining portion and a dispensing flap adapted to mate with the opposite side wall to form a seam, means for securing the retaining portion of the flap in its infolded position, means for holding the dispensing flap in a closed position and the dispensing flap being adapted to be outfolded thereby forming a dispensing opening through which the filter elements can be withdrawn from the stack one at a time.

In the method of the invention, a stack of a plurality of resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements are compressed to at least thirty percent of the uncompressed height of the stack, bound with readily severable means, placed in a mating carton as described above, and thereafter the dispensing flap is opened and outfolded, the stack unbound and the filter elements withdrawn from the stack through the dispensing opening one at a time.

THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A through ID are perspective views of a particularly preferred carton of the present invention shown completely open (1A) then with the top flaps infolded and secured (1B and C) and lastly partially open for dispensing (1D);

FIGS. 2A through 2E schematically illustrate a method of packaging a plurality of filter elements according to this invention; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing alternate embodiments of the carton of this invention.

DESCRIPTION In this invention a stack of fibrous pads to be packaged is first placed on a magazine-press and counted and inspected for quality. One end wall of the magazine is moveable and is driven toward the fixed opposing wall to compress the pads to less than 30 percent of their uncompressed bulk and usually to less than 20 percent of their uncompressedbulk. The compressed pads then have a temporary retaining clip placed about them and are removed from the press. Thereafter, the bundle or stack is permanently bound with readily severable plastic strapping or the like and generallywith two such strappings at right angles to each other.

The strapped bundle in its compressed condition is inserted in the shipping carton of the invention and the shipping carton is sealed as with gummed tape.

The carton has a bottom and four side walls attached thereto and, in a preferred embodiment, two top flaps attached to opposite side walls. A conventional cardboard carton has two sets of top flaps attached to the side walls. In one embodiment of this invention, one set of flaps are used to seal the carton and the other set are removed or are turned inwardly downward into the carton so that they do not lie over the top of the compressed pads. In another preferred embodiment, the other set of top flaps, as described more fully herein, are utilized for added strength to prevent bulging of the carton when closed and during dispensing.

The top flaps have centrally located score lines parallel to the side walls to which they are attached dividing them into a retaining portion and dispensing flaps which mate to form a seam.

When the seam formed by the two longitudinal edges of the dispensing flaps is sealed with a tape for shipping, two additional pieces of tape are placed at the parallel lines on the flaps to hold the retaining portions in place after the carton is opened.

To dispense filter elements from the carton, the center tape of the carton is slit at the same line and each dispensing flap is outfolded or bent back at the parallel score line on the flaps while the retaining portions remain in the closed position with the aid of the tapes placed at the scorelines, serving to restrain the filter elements in the carton after the straps thereabout are cut. When the strapping holding the compressed flexible filter elements is cut, the dispensing flaps in their outfolded position leave an opening wide enough in the carton for the elements to be gently slid out of the carton from under the retaining portions of the flaps one at a time. Usually 30 to 70 percent, e.g., 50 percent of the top area is taken up by the retaining portions secured in position to serve as a restraining means for the compressed filter elements in the carton;

The shipping carton of the present invention remains square with respect to length, width and height dimensions and is easily and uniformly stacked. The number of filter elements that used to be shipped in a carton 25 inches high can now be shipped in a carton only 16 inches high. This volume reduction is beneficial to the manufacturer, the carrier, the distributor and the filter service man. Considering the millions of air filter pads that are consumed annually, the savings resulting from this reduction in volume are considerable.

The user of the pads is not confronted with a disorderly escapement of resilient pads when the compression is released because a portion of the top flaps remain in position to prevent the pads from jumping out of the carton.

The present invention permits shipping and customer dispensing of frameless filter elements in a controlled manner. Of course, the use of the elements minimizes customer solid particle pollution problems and the volume of filter material to be disposed of as compared to conventional filters is also greatly reduced.

Referring now to FIGS. lA-lD, a preferred shipping and dispensing carton of this invention is shown to include a bottom 40 and four upright side walls 42 attached thereto, a first pair of top flaps indicated generally at 44 attached to opposite side walls adapted to be infolded (FIG. 1B), preferably without overlapping, and a second pair of top flaps indicated generally at 46 attached to the remaining opposite side walls adapted to be infolded over said first pair of flaps 44. Each of the second pair of top flaps 46 have a centrally located score line 48 parallel to the side wall dividing each flap 46 into a retaining portion 50 and a dispensing flap 52. Each of the dispensing flaps 52 are adapted to mate without overlapping to form a seam 54 (FIG. 1C). The first pair of top flaps 44 each have a pair of perpendicular cuts 56 coinciding with the parallel lines 48 on the overlying second pair of flaps 46 and form a pair of centrally located secondary dispensing flaps 58. Also included are fastening tape means 64 adjacent lines 48 and adhered to the retaining portions 50 of the second pair of flaps 46 and side walls 42 (FIG. 1C) to secure portions 50 in their infolfed position and fastening tape means 64 for holding dispensing flaps 52in a closed position (FIG. 1C). Tape 64 overlies seam 54 and is adapted to be slit therealong to gain access to the carton interior.

Dispensing flaps 52 and secondary dispensing flaps 58 are adapted to be outfolded as shown in FIG. 1D thereby forming a dispensing opening through which individual filter elements can be withdrawn from the stack 60 one at a time after straps 62 have been cut.

The compressed stack 60 of filter elements is shown bound by straps 62 at right angles to each other (FIG. 1A) and placed in the carton. However, in practice, the carton is first assembled empty with the top flaps secured in place as shown in FIG. 1C. The stack is then placed in the carton through the conventional bottom 40 which generally has two pairs of infolded, sealed flaps. Inserting through the bottom facilitates handling and filling.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2E, a multiplicity of frameless glass fiber air filter pads 10 are placed on a rack 12 between a stationary wall 11a and a moveable wall llb driven by ram 13. Here the pads are counted and inspected for quality as shown in Step A. In step B the pads are compressed by the ram 13 and while in the compressed condition a temporary restraining ring or clip 14 is placed over the pads. The pads in step C are removed from the rack and are permanently banded or tied down by the use of vinyl strapping, indicated at 15, for example.

In step D, the temporary restraining ring 14 is removedand the pads 10 in the compressed condition are inserted into a shipping carton 16 of this invention. The shipping carton has two flaps 17 and 18 for closing the carton. It can be seen that both flaps are longitudinally scored at S so that the outer portions of the flaps can later be bent on these lines.

The carton is sealed in step E. This is done by placing a tape, such as a reinforced gummed tape, along the center seam 20 where flaps 17 and 18 meet. In the addition, strips of reinforced tape 19 and 21 are placed at the scorelines S on flaps 17 and 18.

When the carton is to be opened, tape 20 on the seam between flaps 17 and 18 is slit. The two flaps are then bent upwardly at the score lines. Tapes 19 and 21 serve to hold the portion of flaps therebeyond in a closed position over the pads in the carton. After the portions of the top flaps 17 and 18 are opened, the plastic straps around the bundle are cut and the released pads press upwardly against the portions of the flaps that are taped in the closed position. One pad at a time can then be removed from the box by gently pulling back the edge of the pad through the opening and thereafter sliding the remainder of the pad out of the opening.

It is not necessary that the box have twoopening flaps. Shown in FIG. 3 is a carton 22 containing a stack of pads 25. Here the top flap 23 extends from one edge over to the opposing edge and is sealed at this edge for shipping by means of tape 24. The portion of the flap 23a retained in position after the carton is opened is held in place by tape 26. To open the box, tape 24 is slit along the edge of the carton and portion 23b of the flap is bent upwardly The vinyl straps compressing the stack of pads are then cut. In this case the edges of the pads tend to spring upwardly as shown but nevertheless are retained in the carton by means of flap portion 23a.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a carton 30 is constructed to have a top flap portion 29 that remains permanently in place held thereby tape 28. The other top flap 31 is scored and the tape 29 holds the flap in position along the scoreline. After the stack of pads is placed in the carton, tape 28 is used to seal the flap 31 against flap 29. Tape 28 is slit midway when the box is to be opened and the portion 31a held in place by tape 29 serves to restrain the pads in the carton.

If desired, small flap 27 as shown in FIG. 4 can be left on the opposing side walls of the carton that are not attached to the sealing flaps. This flap 27 should not extend inwardly so far as to interfere with the dispensing of the filter elements. However, in this embodiment it is preferred, if the cartons do contain side flaps, as is usual, to do away with them as by bending them completely into the carton so that they contact only the side edges of the stack of batts.

The present invention is particularly suited for packaging, shipping and dispensing resilient frameless air filter elements. The most resilient filter elements presently available are made from continuous, non-woven glass fiber filaments. Such elements return to their original thickness after compression by virtue of their resilient nature. This is not so with filter elements made from short glass fibers and other woven and non-woven synthetic materials. Thus the term resilient as used herein is intended to include frameless filter elements that will return to substantially their original thickness after being compressed including being held in a compressed state for a long period of time.

It is possible to use tape of one color for securing the retaining portions of the flaps in place and another tape of another readily distinguishable color for holding the dispensing flaps in a closed position to prevent the inadvertent cutting of the first tapes.

What is claimed is:

1. Shipping and dispensing carton for a stack of compressed and bound resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements comprising:

a. a bottom and four upright side walls attached thereto;

b. a first pair of infolded top site side walls;

0. a second pair of top flaps attached to the remaining opposite side walls infolded over said first pair of flaps, each of said second pair of top flaps having a centrally located line parallel to the attachment with the side walls and dividing each flap into a retaining portion and a dispensing flap, each of said dispensing fiaps mating to form a seam;

d. said first pair of top flaps each having a pair of per-. pendicular cuts coinciding with the parallel lines on the overlying second pair of flaps and forming a pair of centrally located secondary dispensing flaps;

e. means securing the retaining portions of said second pair of flaps in their infolded position;

f. means holding said dispensing flaps in a closed position; and

g. said dispensing flaps and said secondary dispensing flaps being adapted to be outfolded thereby forming a dispensing opening through which said stack flaps attached to oppocan be unbound and said filter elements withdrawn therethrough one at a time, said retaining portions adapted to restrain the unbound compressed filter elements in said carton.

2. Carton of claim 1 wherein said first pair of top flaps mate without overlapping.

3. Carton of claim 1 wherein said second pair of top flaps mate without overlapping to form a seam.

4. Carton of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises fastening tapes adjacent to said parallel lines and adhered to said retaining portions and to the adjacent side walls.

5. Carton of claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises fastening tape overlying said seam and adapted to be slit to gain access to the contents of said carton.

6. Carton of claim 1 wherein said single bound stack of a plurality of said filter elements is positioned in said carton and compressed to under thirty percent of their uncompressed height.

7. Shipping and dispensing carton comprising a single stack of compressed and bound resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements contained in said carton comprising:

a. a bottom and four upright side walls attached thereto;

b. a pair of top flaps attached to opposite side walls infolded over said bound stack, each of said top flaps having a centrally located line parallel to the attachment with the side walls and dividing each of said flaps into a retaining portion and a dispensing flap, each of said dispensing flaps mating with each other to form a seam;

0. means securing the retaining portion of said flaps in their infolded positions;

means holding said dispensing flaps in a closed position; and

e. said dispensing flaps being adapted to be outfolded after releasing said means holding said dispensing flaps in a closed position thereby forming a dispensing opening through which said single stack can be unbound and said filter elements withdrawn therethrough one at a time, said retaining portions restraining the underlying opposed side portions of the unbound compressed filter elements in said carton. 

1. Shipping and dispensing carton for a stack of compressed and bound resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements comprising: a. a bottom and four upright side walls attached thereto; b. a first pair of infolded top flaps attached to opposite side walls; c. a second pair of top flaps attached to the remaining opposite side walls infolded over said first pair of flaps, each of said second pair of top flaps having a centrally located line parallel to the attachment with the side walls and dividing each flap into a retaining portion and a dispensing flap, each of said dispensing flaps mating to form a seam; d. said first pair of top flaps each having a pair of perpendicular cuts coinciding with the parallel lines on the overlying second pair of flaps and forming a pair of centrally located secondary dispensing flaps; e. means securing the retaining portions of said second pair of flaps in their infolded position; f. means holding said dispensing flaps in a closed position; and g. said dispensing flaps and said secondary dispensing flaps being adapted to be outfolded thereby forming a dispensing opening through which said stack can be unbound and said filter elements withdrawn therethrough one at a time, said retaining portions adapted to restrain the unbound compressed filter elements in said carton.
 2. Carton of claim 1 wherein said first pair of top flaps mate without overlapping.
 3. Carton of claim 1 wherein said second pair of top flaps mate without overlapping to form a seam.
 4. Carton of claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises fastening tapes adjacent to said parallel lines and adhered to said retaining portions and to the adjacent side walls.
 5. Carton of claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises fastening tape overlying said seam and adapted to be slit to gain access to the contents of said carton.
 6. Carton of claim 1 wherein said single bound stack of a plurality of said filter elements is positioned in said carton and compressed to under thirty percent of their uncompressed height.
 7. Shipping and dispensing carton comprising a single stack of compressed and bound resilient, compressible frameless air filter elements contained in said carton comprising: a. a bottom and four upright side walls attached thereto; b. a pair of top flaps attached to opposite side walls infolded over said bound stack, each of said top flaps having a centrally located line parallel to the attachment with the side walls and dividing each of said flaps into a retaining portion and a dispensing flap, each of said dispensing flaps mating with each other to form a seam; c. means securing the retaining portion of said flaps in their infolded positions; d. means holding said dispensing flaps in a closed position; and e. said dispensing flaps being adapted to be outfolded after releasing said means holding said dispensing flaps in a closed position thereby forming a dispensing opening through which said single stack can be unbound and said filter elements withdrawn therethrough one at a time, said retaining portions restraining the underlying opposed side portions of the unbound compressed filter elements in said carton. 